TheGarageLabs
Compare iCloud+/Google One storage plans to a self-hosted photo library with Immich — cost, privacy, and what happens if you stop paying.
iCloud+ and Google One both back up your phone's photos automatically. Immich does the same job, on a box in your house instead of theirs.
iCloud+/Google One: $9.99/mo for iCloud+ or Google One 2TB, for as long as you keep the plan.
Immich: $0/mo for storage. One-time setup labor, then the box just runs (optional cover is separate).
iCloud+/Google One: Apple or Google, under their own privacy policies.
Immich: Only you and the people you share with. Photos stay on your home network unless you turn on remote access yourself.
iCloud+/Google One: Backup stops once you exceed your plan, and each provider sets its own rules for what happens to over-limit content.
Immich: Nothing changes on the box. There is no storage subscription to lapse.
iCloud+/Google One: Per-account plan sharing, cleanest within one ecosystem (all-Apple or all-Google).
Immich: One shared library. Works the same whether your household is iPhones, Androids, or both.
iCloud+/Google One: Already on by default — that is the whole appeal.
Immich: A one-time setup: your own labor, or ours. After that it is as automatic as iCloud.
iCloud+/Google One: —
Immich: Your box has to be reachable to back up automatically — usually your home wifi, or remote access if you set it up. It is not magic; it is a server you own instead of one you rent.
Turn JavaScript on for the interactive builder, hero diagram, and contact form.